The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-01-14
Letter frbm Omaha.

E1ltoT 1OLUM3lAN:
returned last week from Broken
Bow, Custer county, n braska, whith-
er Bishop Wor,hingion had sent me 10
organize a mission. Thinking that
many Of your readers would be inter
es,ed in what might write about this
missionary journey, send you this,
with the request that you consign it to
the waste basket if you do not think it
of sutii oent interest to publish.
Custer county is one # The largest
counties in the statp-l4rser than the
whole state of Rhode Island and al
most a. large as Rh de Island and
Delaware together Broken Bow is in
the centre of the cou uoty and is the
county seat. The town derives its
name from An affgir of honor betw' en-
two Indians. tn the contest which
was wagrd for he baud of fair In-
dian maiden, the vanquisned warrior
broke his bow at the critical moment
and SO lost his prize. 1t is only fair
that the poor Indian and his broken
bow should be thus immortalized, as
the other fellow walked off with
his heartless flame.
This town has had most remark
able growth. The only building on
the present town site IN 1882 was a
sod house, the only one tor miles
around, aud which is still used as a
printing flee by the Custer county
Republican. When the county was
organized, the place was chosen As the
county seat and by the end of 1885
had grown to small village Last
spring it began to "boom" and since
the first engine entered the town in
August last, its growth has been mar
, velloua. 1t now numbers a population
, of $500. There are fJur bank-, three
large hotels, fine public school build
ing ard two churches. Business houses
l and dwellings are going up rapidly
even in December. for the winter SO
far has been mild and sunny with only
one storm worth mentioning. The
; Lincoln Land and Improvement Com
psny has bought all the land surround.
ing the town, has laid it out in lots
/; and is now selling them at a large pro-
fit.
] was surprised to Fl d so many peo-
: pie of intelligence and culture in a town
SO new. | held services in the Opera
HNuse morning and evening aid after
the evening service organized the par.
g lsh. AT the earnest solicitation of the
2 people | remained with them foi sever
al days and on Monday morning start
ed subscription lust for the building
/ of church edifice. BY Tuesday even
, ing had secured seven hundred and
sixty dollars in subscriptions and five
, of the most valuable lots, centrally To-
Gated on the highest elevation of the
town site, large enough for a church,
rectory and parish buildings. A church
will be built to cost about $500 and
' IL is surprising what a pretty building
g can be put up out here for that money.
t But the Bishop buys most of the
: material at the lowest wholesale prices
t During my visit dove forty miles
e over the prairie TO the ranch of an Eng,
= lish cattle king who wanted bis child
: baptized. In all that dista CO there
/, were no houses but sod houses and
: straw sheds for cattle 1t made me
o think of the comfortable home of the
3 Pennsylvania farmer. A few years,
: however, will change all this and the
e frontier farmer OF Nebraska will be as
y comfortable as his brother IN the East
: and can be the proud owner OF farm,
e which for productiveness, cannot be
+ surpassed anywhere in the world.
On my way to the ranch | stopped
? for short time at the sod house of a
Y Mr.. Maxwell. soon learned that he
t had emlgrated from Pennsyl, ania and
r that his wife in former years knew
: many people in and around Blooms
burg and flillville. | need not say
e that she was glad to Sc me; that but
: family EXPRESSES it. also encounter
ed in the sod printing "fiice mentioned
. above a Writ pen which made me feel
quite at home. The editor used it in
, subscribing 500 towards the building
| fund
We have met with so many unex.
; pecled delays in finishing our church
. here, that the formal oD ming has been
: postponed uutil the 23rd. of January.
In the mea time you may hear from
me again. Very truly yours
LOUIS ZAHNER.
Omaha, Neb. ID C. 2Oth, 1856.